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Journaling the Word burned into my heart as in Luke 24:32

Category Archives: Family Values

It is estimated that there are over seven billion people on earth. Of these seven billion, all of them can be potential friends, with the exception of two. The two out of seven billion are your parents. Parents are meant to be parents, not friends. The role of a parent should never be confused with the role of a friend. The first commandment with the promise of a reward does not say, “Honor your friend, that your life may be long.” It says, “Honor your mother and your father that your life may be long.” Parents are ordained of the Creator as the first guardians of your life. In their role as guardians, they will have commandments and guidelines that should be respectfully heeded unto the preservation of your life. I know that there are circumstances where parents are abusive or negligent, and that is an awful perversion of purpose which often calls for others to step in and fulfill the role.

If parents have a GOD complex, it is only because they serve by design as archetypes of the Most High. Parents and their children create a model of the relationship that will be later replicated with the Heavenly Father. When parents speak to their children with definitive and absolute authority, they are rightfully representing GOD in the children’s life. If the children do not learn to submit to this parental authority, they will inevitably rebel against GOD’s authority as well.

Parents, I encourage you to stand uncompromisingly in the place of authority you have been given by GOD, that you may save the lives of your children in the long run. Do not relinquish your authoritative role as parents for a less confrontational role as friend to pacify your child or to try to maintain a “feel good” relationship. Resist the compromising influence that comes from a world that disregards the preeminent authority of the Creator to its own destruction. Mankind has created many unsustainable structures, both socially and physically, due stiff-necked irreverence to the authority of the Creator.

In the most natural sense, a man and a woman must become one before they can become parents. Through the unity of the act of marriage, parents become one and represent one authority; the authority of THE Creator. GOD gave authority to mankind, which consist of families (father-mother-children), to subdue and rule the earth. This is symbolic of the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Yeshua ruling all creation. The physical is an example of the spiritual and the hidden things of GOD can clearly be seen through the things He has made. The perversion and destruction of natural order and other constructs of GOD by the wicked one are meant to hinder our ability to perceive and understand divine principles. The fallen angel, called Lucifer, wants mankind to be alienated from the Truth so that his lies may have power. Yeshua came to earth as Truth and Light to make the way of life clear. Salvation has been brought to the world in the context of a loving family. We see a relationship between an obedient and beloved Son and a faithful, loving Father. Love personified through a family displaying order and harmony in selflessness.

(Pictured called “The Trinity of the Motherland” artist unknown to me)

When trying to reach a destination, knowing where you are is just as essential as knowing where you are going. For those who were unsure, as well as for those who were disillusioned, it has become very apparent where we are in America; divided. America is so divided that her history is told differently by her native-born people based on their race, gender, or religion. The different accounts of history do not result from just varied opinions but is rather the result of how the American government has chosen to unequally extend rights and privileges to its diverse population. The disparities created by this inequality have subjected the people of America to distinctly different experiences based on their race, gender, and in some cases their religion. This discrimination also accounts for the different levels of patriotism visible in America today. America’s division is directly due to the inequalities created and sustained by government policies that were never intended to provide equal opportunity to all people in their pursuit of happiness. This is where we are in America and it is where we will remain, until all of its people are ready to accept the liberating truth. I say liberating because we will be stuck in this divided state until we acknowledge that we are here and acknowledge that the founders of this country were racist and sexist, and enacted governing policies reflective of that.

When you study American history, you find that after America won its independence, it took almost a century and a half before the basic freedoms of American citizenship were enjoyed by anyone other than white males. These basic freedoms still had to be fought for and gained by native-born Women, Blacks, and Native Americans. The aforementioned demographics were not included in the vision under the Constitution for liberty and justice for all. As such, they were excluded from the rights and privileges protected under the constitution. This exclusion of rights to some groups wasn’t an oversight; it was intentional. Bearing this in mind, we have to be careful when we say we want the Constitution interpreted in the same mind as the generation that drafted it. It is very clear that the men that drafted the Constitution didn’t consider women or people of other races as equals, hence unworthy of the same rights and privileges. When people refer to a point in history where America was considered to be great, it is false if the wealth and strength was not equally available for all to enjoy. The people of this land make up America, for America to be great ALL of its people must be great. When we look at American history from a perspective that takes into account the journey of ALL its citizens, we see there is nothing in the past to return to. If Americans continue to dismiss the inequalities permeated from its origins then we will never mend the divide and neither a house nor a nation divided can stand.

One factor that obscures American history from being seen in true light is the deception of America’s heritage as a Christian nation. If you define Christianity in terms of the teachings of Christ, then America’s historical treatment of people is not in line with Christianity. Were followers of Christ around at the founding of this country?…I am certain there were. Did the presence of these Christians have enough influence on American society for it to be called a Christian nation?… Absolutely not! One of the foundational principles of Christianity is that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. I don’t think I have to make an argument for how un-neighborly America has been to Native Americans or to Blacks or to minority immigrants. The other major tenant of Christianity is that Christians are to love GOD with all their heart, mind, and strength. Christ measures love for GOD in relation to obeying of His commandments…does America or has America ever put all her strength toward keeping GOD’s commandments?…Let us not even go there. The standards of a Christian nation should be set by their GOD not by comparison to how other countries treat their people. It’s time to awake!

Christians should be leading the charge in this country towards peace and unity. Based on our intimate knowledge of the love and teachings of Christ, we should be the best equipped for loving our neighbors as ourselves. We should be best equipped with the humility and compassion involved in putting ourselves in the place of others to understand their condition that we might know better how to relate to them, in order to pray for them and to offer them what they are missing of the life that Christ sacrificed for them to enjoy. Instead, I am seeing so-called soldiers of Christ immersed in secular skirmishes, slinging mud with the republican and democratic parties. Instead of aligning themselves with the Kingdom of GOD, I see Christians aligning themselves with political parties through promoting particular party viewpoints and echoing news articles reporting on all the political rubbish that is common place during election years. Regardless of who gets into the office of President, our foe remains the same. Our battle is against spiritual wickedness working to divide and conquer. Our enemies are not white people or black people or Democrats or Republicans or Muslims or Police. None of those groups are responsible for keeping us divided. The real enemies that keep us divided are the enemies of Love: they are hate, fear, greed, selfishness, lies, deception, despair, envy, unfaithfulness, and idolatry just to name a few. These are issues of the heart that can be present in any man regardless of race, gender, financial status, or party affiliation.

As Christians, we have to be in the battle to free hearts for the Kingdom of GOD. Christ taught,

“What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

These are the things that corrupt men and corrupt men spread corruption throughout countries.

The only way America will be great is by repenting of its evils. 2 Chronicles 7:14,

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Back in the 70’s and early 80’s during children programing it was very common to see advertisements for Kool-Aid brand drink mix, promoted as a great refreshment for thirsty children. To prepare the drink mix you combined 2 quarts of water and plenty of sugar, at least one whole cup, with a package of the fruit flavored powdered Kool-Aid, which was a fraction of an ounce, then stirred it until all the sugar dissolved and Voila!
This beverage was hardly suitable for children to consume at all not to mention as replenishment for children that had been at play. When you think of it, Kool-Aid on its own merit has earned the negative connotation as a lethal mind altering toxin. OK…that’s a bit harsh but it is no coincidence that the Jim Jones association found a symmetry that has lasted for over a decade. Somehow “Tang” and “Hawaiian Punch” dodged that bullet.
The Kool-Aid of our day is propaganda. A lethal concoction consisting of plenty of political interest, mixed with plenty of charisma and less than an ounce of real human concern. This is the drink poured out from the powers that be all around the world and it is very intoxicating. The bible defines the origin of this Kool-Aid as a golden cup in the hands of a great harlot. Here is Revelation 17:4-5,
The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
In verse two of the same chapter the bible says the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with the whore and that the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. This fornication is the opening up and receiving of many different ideas, doctrines, and philosophies all in support of feeding the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life to the detriment of truth, righteousness, and real peace. This wine is served in the fruity flavor of “tolerance,” for the sake of world peace. If you are filled with the whore’s abominable toxins, which make all things relative, you will not be grounded enough to stand against the lying deceits of the devil and he will destroy you. In order to stand against the wiles of the devil, you need to be grounded in God’s absolute and universal truth. This alone will keep you from being swept away by the flood from his mouth (see Revelations 12).
Though whole world is being seduced into drunkenness, we have to remain sober and vigilantly aware. The key to staying sober is through adamantly rejecting the wine of the whore. We have to be in the world but not allow the world to be in us. We have to hold on to the truth of the gospel by faith and except the persecution and alienation that comes from not conforming to this world. When we refuse to conform to the ways and ideals of the world we break uniformity which creates contrast, as a light shining out in darkness, and the Glory of God with in us is revealed. Don’t take it personal and get offended or hurt, instead rejoice because if we share in His sufferings we will also share His glory.
Romans 8:16-18,
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Are you currently or have you ever been in a relationship that seemed to sputter out or that reached a point of complacency, still well but obviously lacking a zest that was once present? This is often due to the lack of promotion. Promotion is the process of transitioning closer to God’s ideal’s for us. Promotion comes from testing, which happens through adversity, which is the born out of conflict, and conflict is necessary for change because the “new” has to confront the “old”. The carnal nature is more in favor of complacency because change can often come with the cost of work and pain, heated with a degree of uncertainty. Is promotion worth the trouble? Can we even arrive at God’s best for us? We must firmly believe that whatever God has planned for us is worth the effort it takes to realize it and we must firmly believe that God has made His promises obtainable. We have to keep hold on God’s vision for our lives.

As uncomfortable as it can be at times, we must bring all things pertaining to our lives into the light of Truth and look at them soberly after the spirit with a willingness to strive for whatever changes are needed to bring us closer to God’s will.

God is merciful in that He gives us liberty to work out our change based on His guidelines. The Lord compels us through scripture to work out our salvation in fear and trembling. Salvation is the process by which we are changed from our current state to a place where we are in the likeness of God. We should be employing all that we know of God to methodically bring every aspect of our lives in to submission to God so that He can transform it. I am not saying we should be focused on what is wrong but that we should be pursuing what we know to be right whole heartedly, without reservation. In relationships, this means asking the tough questions when we have reason to ask them, also revealing the things that have been hid in darkness. It means exposure. The tendency to want to hide can be traced all the way back to the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden, but by the grace of God we have to overcome the shame and fear and be bathed in light. Relationships sputter because the truth that ignites change is seldom sparked in conversation. The tendency to avoid conflict keeps us from the tough talks that create the adversity which leads to testing and promotion. We have to live and love courageously. It is written that we should love one another “fervently” with a “pure heart”. Love on fire and in truth!

There is a thirst in the soul that will only be satisfied by waters purified through the fire of Holy adversity. Jesus didn’t sugar coat it. We enter the kingdom through much tribulation. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy. God wants to bring our entire lives into His Kingdom. If we will have righteousness, peace, and joy in our relationships then we must subject them to tribulation; tribulation born from suffering the old to be transformed into the new. The “new” is the things God has resurrected in our lives from those things we have sacrificed to Him by faith. Let us move forward in full acceptance of the fact that we will have suffering in this life but let us make sure it is the suffering that Jesus is referring to which comes from bringing forth new life and not the suffering that comes from the afflictions of fear or the stagnancy of complacency. Let’s take the promise land in full confidence knowing that an enemy will not arise that we can’t conquer with the Lord that fight’s for us.

What does it mean to watch as the Lord commands in Matthew 24:42?
“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
We are cautioned to watch so that the coming of the Lord does not take us as a thief in the night. It says in scripture that no man knows the day or the hour that the Lord will return but it is given to those who watch to know the season. If you know the season then you can be like the 5 wise virgins of Matthew chapter 25 that had their lamps trimmed and filled with oil and found their way into the marriage supper when they heard the cry. Now the night is symbolic of dark times when evil pervades, not the middle of the night, and the marriage supper is the catching away of Christ’s bride, the church, and the cry is when the Archangel will ascend from heaven with a trump.
The book of Matthew chapter 24 gives a good account of Christ teaching about His eventual return and the rapture of the church. Since Christ teaches this, it is clear that it is something that we should be mindful of however, He also teaches that we should take up our cross daily and follow Him which ensures that whenever He calls for us we will be ready. In fact, many have and will continue to be called home before He returns. So it is imperative that we “watch” every day so that we are ready if we are called together with the rest of the saints or if we are called individually.
In the book of Genesis our Lord tells us that He created the lights in heaven that separates day and night (the sun and the moon) for signs, seasons and times. So we are not to ignore the blood moons and eclipses and holy days because the Lord does use all of these to communicate to us. I do believe that we are living in the culmination of the church age however nothing takes precedence over the sign of waking up in the morning and realizing we have been blessed with the present of the current day. So while I am excited about the signs of heaven I am most occupied with the moment at hand and what the Holy Spirit is saying about right now. So here in is the secret of watching for the Lord.
To watch for the Lord means to stay alert, living consciously in the reality that the Lord is always WATCHING US. So we should always be about doing the things we are appointed to do that whenever we meet Him we can have our conscious clear knowing we were doing what we were supposed to be doing. Awake in comparison to unconscious. Unconscious, living as though God is not watching us always with an intent to hold us accountable to our actions. Asleep, in the dreamland of over indulgence: too much TV, movies, sports, video games, eating, sexual pleasures, wealth seeking. Walking as one drunken from the intoxicating effect of sensory overload in carnal pleasures to the extent that you are numb to the prodding and convicting of the spirit. As a drunk person unable to walk on a straight path stumbling often from the path of righteousness or just lights out unconscious.

I know there is a lot of pain and suffering in this world but we have to stop self-medicating with the spirit dulling drugs of this world. We have to seek the comfort given by God through the Holy Spirit that strengthens us to endure the pain in soberness of mind. When we suffer in the flesh righteously, it generates spiritual life.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 reads,
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
The Holy Spirit comforts us through giving us assurance in the knowledge of truth which gives us hope and inspiration to endure these temporal sufferings as we look forward to the rewards to come. Watching means we are focused on the eternal as we live through the temporal. To watch is to maintain a vigilance over our lives to ensure we are living our faith out in a real and tangible way evidenced through what we do each day. By the grace of God, if we live in this way we can be confident that whenever we meet the Lord it will be an anticipated and joyous occasion.

Many of us have experienced power outages due to in-climate weather like ice storms or severe thunder storms. In today’s 24 by 7 world pace these power outages can be very disruptive. Nowadays businesses and homeowners have been purchasing Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems to mitigate the disruptive effects of losing power. Most of these UPS systems provide backup power for less than 1 hour. It would be ideal if we could plug into a power supply that never got disrupted or depleted.
There are other storms that we have to endure that have nothing to do with the weather outside. The kinds of storms I am referring to are the relationship, finance, and health storms that pop up threatening to disrupt our lives like the fallout from character flaw surfacing, loss of wages, or a debilitating health issue. As with most storms these demand our attention and focus. The storms of life are guaranteed and during these storms it is often required of us to operate at the same output level, actually in life storms we need higher output than in times of peace and calm. During these life storms we can experience a loss of power to be at peace, to be joyful, to be patient, to be responsive, to be hopeful. Is there a UPS for the soul in times of life storms? YES!
We have to remember at all cost to stay plugged into the Almighty God through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is that extension cord that allows you to remain connected even when you move too far from the source. We stay connected through maintaining a humble mind set. We should always be mindful to acknowledge our dependency on God as our power source. We acknowledge our dependency through seeking God daily through prayer, reading the scriptures, staying connected to others that lead us to God through their own devoted lives.
This is what the scripture means when it says , “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.” If your source of strength is another human, wealth, status, beauty, or any other temporal source you will find, if you have not already, that these power sources can be depleted by the storms of life.
The error most people make is waiting until the low charge indicators start flashing until they plug in. Stress, frustration, depression, fear, worry, and bitterness are all low charge indicators. Through maintaining a constant connection with God you can avoid these low charge indicators through constant awareness of His loving counsel, His perspective of your life, His declaration of your value, His daily provisions for you, and His most comforting presence. In the shelter of this divine awareness you will find power and safe refuge through all of life’s storms.

As we start our climb toward the climax of spring we see the reproduction process of nature intensify evidenced by the proliferation of pollen everywhere. As pollen gets all over your clothes, your car, even in our bodies triggering allergies for some, do you ever stop and think that during this time we are caught in the middle of a massive plant orgy. My mind is not merely in the gutter as some might think; it is actually the fact of the matter.

Back in the day when there were references of teaching one about sex they would say, “Haven’t your parents talked with you about the birds and the bees?” This reference was about the cross-pollination of plant life or in other words plant reproduction. This was a great segue into a conversation about human reproduction and sex because it used nature as a basis for understanding normal sexual behavior.

It is evident that parents have stopped teaching their children about sex as it relates to nature because the practices of sex in our society has strayed from what is natural to what is even against nature. This is nothing new amongst those who are unprincipled as indicated in scripture, take Romans 1:26-27;

“For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”

Things that go against natural order are unsustainable and the end of it is in the practice of it. When the human race acts out against the designs of the Creator they doom themselves. It is really sad because people will fight you for their own doom and condemn anyone for speaking out against what is plainly perversion. Perverse in that it is against natural order and the principles of creation.

As I witness the beauty of blossoming flowers as they open up to spread their pollen it reminds me of the beauty of sex and reproduction the way the Creator intended. Nature shows us the benefit of following the Creators plans bringing us abundant life, rich green foliage on trees producing oxygen, delicious fruit feeding millions, also breath-taking beauty to uplift the soul. We can still learn a lot from the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees.

Romans 1:20-21,

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”